82″ 3D ready LCD?!

I’m one of the movie fans out there that sadly never got to see CORALINE in 3D and I’m kicking myself for it. Some movies you miss in the theaters and you can just catch up at home on DVD or Blu-ray. But with CORALINE in 3D, it’s an experience I’ll never be able to have at home. Or will I?

This morning Mitsubishi announced its new home theater line for 2009 that includes LCDs with 3D-Ready1 viewing technology. Their new 737 Series of TVs will include the all-new supersized 82″ 1080p model along with 60″, 65″ and 75″ screen sizes – all featuring 3D-Ready viewing technology.

David Naranjo, director of product development for Mitsubishi, said, “As the home theater market continues to flourish and the cinema space continues to embrace 3D, we clearly see MDEA’s 3D-Ready Home Theater TVs playing a key role in meeting consumers craving for the best and most advanced home theater experience.”

The only problem, as you might imagine, is the availability of 3D content for the home. While Mitsubishi is working with developers on 3D content (specifically “gaming and movies”), movie studios are going to fight to keep 3D theater exclusive for as long as possible.

Moreno and I did get to play some 3D video games and watch a live broadcast of a basketball game in 3D while at ShoWest and the technology is obviously there (and pretty amazing at that). But how long before that is readily available to the regular consumer at an affordable price? Right now Mitsubishi is asking $2500 for their cheapest 3D ready TV. And they even claim in their press release that a “3D standard format does not currently exist for Blu-Ray or DVD” and that a format may emerge that is “not compatible with Mitsubishi LaserVue.”

Long story short, while it’s cool to see this technology is making its way into homes, it’s far from perfect and unless you’re Jeffrey Katzenberg or John Lasseter, you might want to hold off another 10 years or so.